Divider means for filing trays or drawers



July 15,1941.

A. T. SWIMMER lDIVIDER MEANS FOR FILlNG TRAYS 0R DRAWERS v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2l, 1940 July 15, L1941.I A. 'r. swlMMER j DIVIDR MEANS FOR FILING TRAYS OR DRAWERS 2 sheds-sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2l, 19.40

Patented July 15, 1941 fiJNiTE'D STATES PATENT *foreros This invention relates to trays or drawers for the verticalY Illing of index cards,lletters and the like, and has particular reference rto 'improvements in divider means for such trays vo'r drawers.

lOne special object of the invention is to provide a tray or drawer divider means which is thoroughly practical, strong,`dur`able andgenerally satisfactory in use and which, at the saine time, is of low production cost and Veasy to assemble. Y

According to the invention the divider means comprises upright plates which extend transversely of a tray or drawer and which are mounted for limited forward and rearward tilting movements to facilitate access to the cards, letters or the like which they'divide, and in this connection another special object of the invention is to provide simple means for mounting the plates for tilting movements and vfor limiting tilting movements thereof.

Another special object of the invention is `to provide a divider means which may readily and easily Vbe Vproduced as a unit separate from a tray or drawer with which it is to be used and which, as an assembled unit, may 'readily -and easily bemounted operatively in a tray or drawer and which may equally as readily and Veasily be removed therefrom. i

With the foregoing and other objects 'in View, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood', 'the same consists in then'ovel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, 'illustrated in the accompanying drawings and dened in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a tray or drawer illustrating divider means constructed in accordance with one practical embodiment of the inventionoperatively mounted therein. Y

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse section through the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective View showing in separated relationship a .portion of one of the divider plates, a portion of the channel strip and a portion of the bottom of the tray or drawer.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5'5 of Fig. 3.

,'top, trough-like depression` Itof suitable width Figure VIi is afragmentary,sectionsirnilarto Figi illustratingy aslightly alternative embodi-V mentof the invention; and

Figure ly is another fragmentary section similar to Fig. 1 VillustratingV another slightly alternative .embodiment of the invention.

Referring ,to the drawings inf. detail',

designates, generally, a tray or drawer which may be of any desired construction and which includes, as usual, side walls I0, I, front and rearrgend Walls II and I2, respectively, and a bottom wall I3, 1 j, n

In accordance with the vpractical. embodiment of ythe invention illustrated in the drawings, the

tray or drawer 'A' is formed from sheet metaland its bottom wall I3, midway between :its side walls I, IIB, is downwardly oisetto .providean openand depth which extendspreferably from end to end vof the trayor. drawer and which kitself is"defined by a bottom Wall lia and side walls I5, I5. K

The wall I3?, at points suitably spaced along the length thereof and midway between the side Walls I5, l5,`has.`rising therefrom pairs of stop elements I t, I6 which are of lesser` width than said walll I3@ and which may be provided in any suitable manner. .For example, portions of .the wall I3a may be pressed upwardly as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 so that the 'adjacentends of said upwardly V'pressed portions lconstitute saidstop elements or, as'illustrated in Fig. '7 of the .drawings, portions `of said wall may be bent upwardly infthe formof` flanges I?, lit`V the adjacent side facesV of which constitute said stop elements,

Alternatively, said stop elements may beseparate from the wall ISa and may be fastened thereto 'in any suitable manner. In any event, the stop elements of each pair `are spaced a short distance apart longitudinally of the Wall ISE. n

Designed to fit into thegdepression AM is an openbottom, sheet metal channel memberl II which corresponds in length and Width 'and preferably in depth to said depression and which y comprisesa top Wall I8 .and depending side walls I9, I9. When this member is fitted into said depression, as illustrated in Figs.V 1 to 3, the outer faces of its side walls vengage the inner faces of thedepression sidewalls I5, I5 and the bottom intents and purposes part of the bottom the tray or drawer.

In the top wall I8 of the channel member I1 are narrow slots 20 which extend transversely of said top wall and which are located in said wall so as each to overlie the space between a related pair of the stop elements I6, I6 or |63, I6, as the case may be, when said channel member is operatively tted in the depression I4.

The divider plates, each designated generally as 2|, are duplicates of one another and preferably are formed from sheet metal, each being preferably rectangular in shape and preferably of a width and height corresponding substantially to the width and height of the tray or drawer A.

Formed as a bottom extension of each divider plate 2| centrally thereof, is a tongue 22. while pressed in each tongue and extending upwardly wall of therefrom any suitable distance into each di-V vider plate are a suitable number of vertical ribs 23 which serve to stien said tongues and plates and to insure against bending of said tongues relative to said plates. Preferably said ribs are pressed rearwardly relative to the tongues and plates so as not to interfere with the laying of cards, letters or the like flatly against the front faces of said plates, but this is not essential and said ribs may be pressed either entirely or in part'forwardly from the tongues and plates if desired.

The tongues 22 are of widths substantially equal to the length of the slots 20 and each divider plate has its tongue extending downwardly through a related slot 26, the several divider plates being maintained in assembly with the channel member Il by means of a length of wire or rod 24 disposed below the top wall I8 of said channel member and extending through small holes 25 in the tongues 22.

When the channel member I'l with the divider plates'2 assembled therewith is disposed in the depression I4 the lower edge of each divider plate, to either side of its tongue 22, rests upon the top wall of the channel member l1 beyond the ends of the related slot 2B and also upon the bottom wall I3 of the tray or drawer. Each divider plate therefore is tiltable forwardly and rearwardly about the line of contact of its lower edge with the top wall of said channel member and the bottom wall of the tray or drawer.

The tongue 22 of each divider plate is of such length or depth as to clear the bottom wall I3@l of the depression I4 and to extend between the related pair of stop elements I 6, I 6 or 16a, Ilia, as the case may be. Consequently, each divider plate is tiltable forwardly and rearwardly within limits as determined by the spaced apart relationship of the related pair of said stop elements. In other words, the slots 20 are of such narrow width as to hold the divider plates against being shifted bodily forwardly or rearwardly relative to the drawer. Therefore, any given divider plate cannot be tilted forwardly or rearwardly beyond a position in which its tongue 22 engages one or the other of the related pair of stop elements I6, I6 or ISH, Ia, as the case maybe.

Any suitable means may be providedv to removably retain the channel member I'I in the depression I4. For example, screws 26 may be passed through openings in the side walls I5, I5

of the depression and may be threaded into openings provided in the side Walls I9, I9 of the channel member I1, as illustrated in the present instance. Thus, provision is made whereby the entire divider attachment, as an assembled unit, may readily and easily be mounted operatively in a tray or drawer and which may equally as readily and easily be' removed therefrom.

Manifestly', in the case of a tray or drawer and divider elements of considerable width, two or more of the mounting means for the divider elements located at points spaced apart trans versely of the tray or drawer, may be provided in lieu of the single mounting means located midway between the sides of the tray or drawer as illustrated in the present instance.

Figure 6 of the drawings illustrates that plates 21 may be fastened against the under side of the top wall I8 of the channel member I'I adjacent to the slots 20 to reinforce said top wall in the vicinity of said slots.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent t'o those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A filing tray or drawer including a bottom wall having an open-top depression extending longitudinally thereof, a channel member of inverted U-shape in cross section disposed in said depression, said depression including side walls and a bottom wall and said channel member including side walls and a top wall which is spaced above said depression bottom wall and disposed substantially flush with the bottom wall of the tray or drawer, the top wall of said channel member having narrow slots therein extending transversely thereof at points spaced apart along its length, a plurality of divider plates each having a depending tongue extending downwardly through a related slot, each divider plate resting at its lower edge upon the bottom Wall of the tray or drawer whereby each plate is supported for forward and rearward tilting movements, means maintaining the divider plates assembled with said channel member, and stop elements consti. tuted by portions of the bottom wall of said de.` pression upstruck therefrom for cooperation with.; the tongues of said divider plates to limit tilting?,- movements of said divider plates.

2. A ling tray or drawer including a bottom-l wall, a channel member of inverted U-shape in, cross section seated upon the bottom wall of saidil drawer and including a top wall spaced above the. bottom wall of said drawer and having narrow., slots therein extending transversely thereof at; points spaced along its length, a plurality of di. vider plates tiltably supported at their lower edges; on the top wall of said channel member and each, having a tongue extending downwardly through a, related slot in the top wall of said channel member, and stop elements constituted by portionslof` the bottom wall of said tray or drawer upstruclt.A from said bottom wall for cooperation with said tongues to limit tilting movements of said divider plates. y

ALBERT THEODORE SWIMMER. 

